What's Most Important
by axelfar
Summary: A simple shooting star in the night sky solidifies Kowalski and Julien's relationship, while causing ripples and changes in others. KoJu, one sided Skipper/Julien, Julien/Mort, and Skipper/Private


For those of you waiting on my other stories, rest assured that I'm working on the next chapter of _Our Little Secret_. In the meantime, enjoy this one-shot I was inspired to write.

* * *

"I had a nice time tonight Julien."

"I was having a nice night too Kowalski."

The two lovebirds stood under a streetlamp as they closed the gap between them and kissed. They had just come back from a date, their fifth one actually, having spent the entire afternoon and part of the evening having fun in the city.

The kiss ended too soon for both their likings, and Julien went in for another quick one.

"Are you sure you cannot be staying da night? My royal bouncy is very...," Julien wrapped his arms around the penguins neck, "roomy."

"No," replied Kowalski, "Skipper would ask too many questions. He's already getting suspicious."

"Dat bossy penguin is keeping you away from me. As king I demand he give you more time with me time."

Kowalski pushed away Julien's arms and grabbed hold of his paws in his flippers. "I'll work something out. With my intellect I'll be able to keep Skipper in the dark for ages."

"But why must we be hiding our love? I wish we didn't have to be keeping it secret anymore."

Just then a shooting star passed overhead, catching both their attention. Julien's face light up with happiness from seeing it. "It is a sign from the sky spirits! They are granting my wish!"

Kowalski frowned. Wishing on a shooting star didn't grant wishes any more than birthday cake candles or a wishing fountain did. It had no basis in scientific fact and was just for fun. But Julien looked so happy he didn't have the heart to tell him. "It's my wish too," he said before giving him one final peck on the lips.

Back at HQ Kowalski was in his bunk thinking about Julien. After the second date it was obvious he couldn't concentrate on anything else. In fact, he accidentally blew up the lab after their first date because he couldn't concentrate on the experiment he was working on. So it was customary that he spent the time after dates just blissfully thinking about his lemur. The way his tail swished to and fro, how his eyes sparkled with such veracity, how his perfectly curved body would find ways to get close...

"Kowalski, out of bed soldier! We need to discuss some urgent matters."

Skipper's voice jerked Kowalski out of his thoughts. The strategist jumped down from his bunk to where Skipper was, next to Private's first prize. Private and Rico where on the other side of the room watching television, unaware of Skipper and Kowalski's conversation.

"What's the urgent matter Skipper? Is Blowhole up to something again?"

"No," the lead penguin broke eye contact and looked at the floor, rubbing his beak in deep thought. The seconds ticked by into a minute.

"Skipper-"

"What were you doing today Kowalski?" the commander interrupted. Kowalski instantly replied with his fabricated alibi.

"I was out in the park testing flora samples to ensure we would not again succumb to the itchiness of poison ivy. I told you that this morning-"

"What were you _really _doing? It's not like you to lie to me Kowalski. I don't like it when my men have to lie to me because they don't trust me."

Kowalski felt a cold sweat start to form on the back of his neck.

"I... I didn't lie... I just wanted a day off..."

"You still lied to me to get it. And what did you spend the day doing?"

Skipper stood waiting for an answer. His anger was clearly being held back long enough for Kowalski to explain himself. The problem was, Kowalski didn't know what to tell him. He couldn't tell him the truth, but he couldn't lie to Skipper either. There was only one option: keep it true but vague. Very vague.

"I spent the day in the city."

"By _yourself_?" Skipper asked, his voice clearly accusatory.

"No, with a friend..."

"Who?" It was more of a demand than a question.

"Julien..." mumbled Kowalski. He was playing with his flippers at this point.

"Why Julien?" asked Skipper, dead serious. Kowalski shivered slightly from his leader's new low tone.

"He-he and I have become good friends recently-"

"FRIENDS DON'T KISS EACH OTHER ON THE LIPS!" Skipper screamed at Kowalski. Rico and Private turned away from their show to see what going on. "Why Julien? Why Ring-tail? Out of everyone in the zoo, why him?"

"I-I don't-"

"Don't try to hide it, I saw you two being all lovey-dovey before you came back!"

So Skipper knew. Kowalski's secret had been exposed. There was no point in trying to hide it anymore.

"So what if Julien and I are a couple? Do you have a problem with that?"

"Of course I have a problem! You're a penguin, he's a lemur! I don't even have to point out that YOU'RE BOTH GUYS!"

"That doesn't matter to us. We're in love-"

"It's not love! I forbid you from seeing him again!"

Kowalski didn't believe what he just heard. He wouldn't believe it. Skipper had no right to keep them apart. His whole outburst was unwarranted.

"You can't keep me away from him! I don't care if you are my commanding officer!"

"One more outburst of insubordination and I'll court martial you so fast you'll end up just like Manfredi and Johnson!"

Kowalski held his tongue, for now. He needed to give Skipper some time to cool off, trying to reason with him right now was pointless. He turned his attention to the other two penguins in the HQ. Private was upset over the fight and Rico was giving him a look that read 'I feel for you bro'.

"Yes, Sir," he replied unenthusiastically to Skipper. The commanding officer seemed satisfied with his response.

"Now then, I think I'll have a little talk with Ring-tail to settle this matter on both ends."

Something snapped inside of Kowalski.

"If you weren't such a coward with your feelings maybe things would have turned out differently."

Kowalski was on the floor before his mind had time to process what had occurred. Skipper stood over him seething. Kowalski raised a flipper to his now blacked eye. Skipper threw one heck of a punch. Kowalski and Rico were holding Skipper back now. Slowly Kowalski got up and composed himself.

"Kowalski... I, I didn't mean to-"

"No Skipper, you did mean it. I'm going over to the lemurs' habitat. Don't follow me." He climbed up the ladder and closed the hatch behind him, not bothering to look back. The short walk to Julien's didn't stop Kowalski from thinking how the night had gone from wonderful to a disaster.

He found Maurice first instead of Julien. "Yo man, you okay? What happened to your eye?"

"It's not important. Is Julien home?" he asked covering his black eye with his flipper.

"Yeah. Hey Julien, your boyfriend is here!" the aye-aye shouted off toward the back of the habitat. Kowalski was slightly surprised to hear the B word come out of Maurice's mouth. The aye-aye's shout was met with Mort's sad cries. "Mort didn't take the news well. Had kind of a crush on Julien." _At least he's not going to punch me like Skipper did. And even if he does it won't hurt as much._

"Mort, how many times am I telling you, don't touch da feet!" Julien yelled as he dragged Mort, the small lemur grabbing on to his king's feet for dear life.

"But King Julien, the smart penguin will never love your feet as much as I do!" Mort cried into Julien's leg.

"And dat is being a good thing, now let go!" Julien tried to get Mort off him, but the harder he tried, the stronger the little lemur's grip got. "Maurice, be dealing with dis!"

Maurice walked over to them and grabbed hold of Mort. "Come on Mort, don't make this any harder than it has to be." He managed to tear him away from Julien, only for Mort to start crying even louder. Maurice took him away giving Kowalski and Julien some privacy.

"I'm glad you came-" Julien stopped when he saw the injury on Kowalski's face. "What happened? Why is your eye all black and gross?" Julien's hands immediately went up to Kowalski's eye, tenderly caressing it.

"It's just a bruise around the eye area giving the appearance of a black eye, hence the name," he calmly explained.

"But how is it that you were getting it?" the lemur asked with worry. Kowalski grabbed his paws and lead him over to the royal bouncy.

"Skipper found out we were dating. He didn't like it."

"And he hit you? Dat is outrageous! I will be giving him a piece of my mind, and by dat I mean sending the gorillas to go beat him up."

"That won't be necessary Julien. He'll get over it eventually." Kowalski climbed onto the bouncy and motioned for Julien to join him.

"He shouldn't have hit you in da first place," he said as he laid down next to Kowalski, eyes on him as the penguin looked up at the sky. "Did he slap you too?"

"No, he only slaps us when we do something wrong. He knows me being with you isn't wrong. He only hit me because I provoked him."

A few moments of silence passed by before Julien spoke. "It was being my fault."

Kowalski turned his head to look at his lover. "It wasn't your fault Skipper didn't have the courage to tell you how he felt, just like it's not my fault you fell in love with me instead of him. You can't choose who you fall in love with."

"Huh? Skipper likes me dat way?" Julien asked surprised.

"You didn't know?" asked an equally surprised Kowalski. Julien shook his head.

"I was meaning da wishing star. My wish came true but not how I expected it. I am to blame for it."

"Julien, what we saw was a meteor disintegrating in the mesosphere. It does not hold the capability of granting wishes."

"Then how have we gotten into dis situation, Mr. Smarty-booty?" Julien never did like it when Kowalski would use science against him. Mostly because he didn't understand half of what the penguin said and it made him feel stupid.

"Remember when I was your 'bodyguard' about three months ago?"

"How could I be forgetting? You saved me from that dog with a grudge, and stole my heart."

Kowalski smiled at the lemur's sweet words, drinking them in as a remedy for his injured eye.

"It was all because of Skipper. He was too busy, or dare I say shy, to get to know more about you, so he sent me to spy on you. Get as much info about you as I could, by pretending to be the bodyguard you requested."

"So you weren't really protecting me?" interrupted Julien.

"Not until you were actually in danger. Just let me finish explaining please and then you can ask questions, okay?"

Julien frowned but nodded his head, giving the penguin permission to continue.

"Anyway, looking back at it, it should have been more obvious. There really was no practical need for the info Skipper requested, and I was only chosen for this mission because of my impeccable note taking skills. I remember how you complained you wanted Rico to defend you."

"Well no offense, but he is much more buff than you."

"Yes, but terrible with reconnaissance. He'd much rather blow stuff up than take notes about it. Plus I think Skipper didn't trust him after your… explosive one night stand…"

"I am not understanding that last part."

Kowalski gave a sigh. He knew Julien was lying. His body language was getting defensive and the lemur's eyes were looking every which way.

"I know you and Rico have had sex. After he woke up from his destruction overload nap, he and Ms. Perky had a fight. She felt betrayed and Rico felt terrible for cheating on her. They've worked it out thankfully."

"So I am a habitat wrecker? I mean, I know I am drop dead gorgeous, but that is for the single peoples to gawk at."

"It wasn't your fault. Rico was ignoring Ms. Perky for a while, I'm not sure why. He gained an interest in you, and when the moment came, he explored it to the max. It made him realized he already had what he wanted."

"And what about the pudgy penguin?"

"Private… you know I think he would have caught on to what Skipper was doing straight away. He may be naïve when it comes to the darker parts of live, but he's an expert in romance."

"You are being good at it too." Julien wrapped his arms around Kowalski and brought them closer together.

"It's both funny and cruel, in a cosmic way. If Skipper hadn't been so afraid of his own feelings, we wouldn't be together right now. It's thanks to him we fell in love."

The two silently stared up at the brightly lit New York City night sky. Time slowly passed by as they held each other close in their arms. Nothing else mattered at the moment except each other. A streak of light flashed in the sky catching both their attentions.

"Another wishy star! Oh, but da last one was causing so much trouble…"

"Be careful what you wish for, as the saying goes." Kowalski paused. "For some reason I feel like that applies to full faze plasma blasters with repeating action and laser sights too…"

"Can I be having a straw hat, silk pajamas, roller skates, and coffee mug with my wish then? I feel like I should be having them already."

Kowalski chuckled. "No, when you make a selfish wish it usually ends up backfiring. You're supposed to use wishes to help others."

"But wishing for myself _does_ help others. A happy king makes a happy kingdom!"

Kowalski smiled and brought Julien in for a kiss.

"Are you happy now?"

"Yes, very."

Kowalski turned his head back to the sky. "I wish Skipper would find someone to make him as happy as we are." When he turned back toward Julien, he saw the lemur with a naughty glint in his eye.

"You naughty penguin, you wasted my wish. Now you will be having to make it up to me…" His seductive tone told Kowalski all he needed to know.

"Your wish is my command."

* * *

Skipper was sitting down on the edge of the concrete island staring up at the sky. His back was to the lemur habitat. He barely managed to see the shooting star through his tears.

"You okay Skippah?"

The lead penguin quickly tried to wipe away all his tears. He wouldn't let Private see him like this.

"I thought I told everyone to stay down below, or don't you trust me? Worried I'll punch Kowalski again if I'm left alone?" he asked very condescendingly.

"Of course not. I wanted to make sure you were okay, is all." Private took a seat right next to him. "It's a beautiful night; it's a shame to waste it crying by yourself."

"I wasn't crying! I just… have something in my eyes. Real men don't cry." To prove his point, Skipper rubbed his eyes as if he was trying to get something out.

"I cry too Skippah. It's nothing to be ashamed about. Sometimes a good cry can do wonders." He gave his commander a comforting pat on the back.

"It's just not fair…"

"I know how much you fancied Julien, but you'll find someone else. Love strikes when you least expect it."

"You… you knew?" Skipper asked surprised. He had been so careful making sure no one realized his feelings for the lemur.

"For a while now. It was the little things that tipped me off. The looks, the blushes, how your mood changed around him."

Skipper lowered his gaze on to his reflection in the water.

"Well take it from me Private, when you fall in love with somebody, make sure they know. Don't let them get away from you."

Private was silent for a moment after that, looking at Skipper with deep concentration.

"Let's go back inside Skippah, I'll show you how to bake an "I'm sorry" fish cake for when K'walski comes back home tomorrow."

"Alright, but can you whip me up one of your love smoothies before we start? I could really use one right now."

"Sure thing Skippah!" They both got up and walked over to the fishbowl entrance. Skipper went down first but Private lingered for a bit when he heard some sounds coming from the lemur habitat.

_What could they be doing? Oh, oh my…! _Private blushed as realization dawned on him and he quickly went down the hatch and closed it shut. _Thank goodness the HQ is sound proof. Skipper doesn't need to hear that._

"Does anyone want a love smoothie?"

"I'll have one Private!" Mort shouted without tearing his eyes away from the video game.

"It would be nice not being the one making the smoothies for once. Just don't add any fish to mine."

"Sure thing Maurice. What about you Rico?"

"Sure."

Private smiled watching all three play the racing game. Skipper had chosen to lie in his bed staring up at the ceiling. He was so deep in thought Private had to slap him to get his attention.

"Private, what was that for? I'm the only one who slaps around here!"

"Sorry Skippah, but I couldn't get your attention any other way. Your smoothie is ready."

"Already? I guess I was kinda zoned out then." He took a sip and instantly felt better. "You've outdone yourself Private. This is the best love smoothie you've ever made."

"That's because I poured all my heart into it Skippah."

Skipper paused for a fraction of a second before taking another sip. "You… have a sweet heart, Private."

Private gave a giddy, "Thank you," and left to get the baking supplies ready.

"_When you fall in love with somebody, make sure they know. Don't let them get away from you."_

Private replayed Skipper's words in his head. _It's too soon to tell him, but I'll make sure to tell him when the time is right. I almost lost him once, I won't lose him again._

Skipper finished his smoothie and walked over to the table. "So what do we start with first?"

"We start by making the batter. I'm using a French recipe so the measurements will be in metric."

"But Private, you know how I feel about the metric system!"

Private giggled. "Sorry Skippah, but a _liter _would just do it instead of complaining."

"Fine, I'll do it, but no more metric pun jokes."

"Deal."

_My love for you is immeasurable anyway. I'll heal your broken heart. I'll be your other half. I love you Skipper, and I'll make sure you always know it.

* * *

_

Aww, wasn't that sweet? For those of you wondering, Maurice brought Mort over to the penguin habitat to find a way to shut him up. They ended up playing video games with Rico and then spending the night over. Skipper didn't like the noise and went outside to be alone. Isn't it nice how the characters in the background are still doing stuff?


End file.
